Inhaled curcumin mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles against radiation pneumonitis

Radiation therapy is an effective method to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors using high-energy X-ray or γ-ray. Radiation pneumonitis (RP) is one of the most serious complications of radiation therapy for thoracic cancers, commonly leading to serious respiratory distress and poor prognosis. Here, we prepared curcumin-loaded mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (CMPN) for prevention and treatment of RP by pulmonary delivery. Mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (MPDA) were successfully synthesized with an emulsion-induced interface polymerization method and curcumin was loaded in MPDA via π‒π stacking and hydrogen bonding interaction. MPDA owned the uniform spherical morphology with numerous mesopores that disappeared after loading curcumin. More than 80% curcumin released from CMPN in 6 h and mesopores recovered. CMPN remarkably protected BEAS-2B cells from γ-ray radiation injury by inhibiting apoptosis. RP rat models were established after a single dose of 15 Gy ⁶⁰Co γ-ray radiation was performed on the chest area. Effective therapy of RP was achieved by intratracheal administration of CMPN due to free radical scavenging and anti-oxidation ability, and reduced proinflammatory cytokines, high superoxide dismutase, decreased malondialdehyde, and alleviated lung tissue damages were observed. Inhaled CMPN paves a new avenue for the treatment of RP.